Mosaik Blocks by Naef

With eighteen different colours and over a thousand potential patterns to create, Naef’s Mosaik Blocks set artistic imagination and creative thinking alight with their kaleidoscopic possibilities.

Designed by Kathrin Kiener, this clever pattern puzzle is comprised of 36 cubes, with no two bearing the same colour combinations. The seemingly endless possibilities and delicious array of hues will have children (not to mention their parents) constantly returning to shift the patterns, redesign colour schemes, and even start from scratch to create new and exciting designs.

With its sleek black frame encasing the blocks, this Mosaik looks more like a work of art than a toy and won’t seem out of place on display, until small hands decide it’s time for a pattern change again

We love the fractal and Escher-like artistic possibilities (albeit with a much more colourful edge than Escher tended towards), plus just think what glorious patterns can be configured before your little artist sets out to translate that into a serious oil-and-canvas reality. This puzzle just gives artists a 3D testing ground…

The high-quality handcrafted blocks will comfortably withstand hundreds of hours of shuffling, arranging and playing, so be prepared for Mosaik to remain out and in the family domain for quite some time. As well as the standard size 36 block puzzle – which is definitely considerable enough! – Naef also offer an incredible 100 block version, which is ideal for group play and older children who are looking for a wider colour challenge.

What Kids Love No matter how the patterns are put together, it will look beautiful – albeit sometimes a little more postmodern than at others

What Parents Love Well, after the kids have left for college, you won’t mind keeping this toy for some high-brow picture puzzle making yourself

Designer Details After training as a carpenter and interior architect Kurt Naef single-handedly launched this brand in 1954 aiming to create toys which allow children to explore the world through their senses. With a strong belief in the importance of early childhood experiences, Naef strive to create high-quality toys which encourage creativity and invention. In 2012 production moved from Kurt Naef’s native Switzerland to Germany, where Naef’s products are still crafted mainly by hand using wood sourced from eco-friendly lumber sites across Europe.